Nausicaa is an examination of the nature of Nature, the place and value of man within the larger context of existence, the ethics of violence on both man and nature, and the horror of war. 1 part Dune, 1 part Lord of the Rings, 1/2 part Dostoevsky, 1/2 part Steinbeck, and 2 parts Earthsea with a particular note of A Wizard of Earthsea (and just general Le Guinn), this series is composed of philosophy, traditional themes explored in non-traditional ways, world-building, feminist elements that go beyond shallow “girl body but like a man” in early 80’s Japan, and an epic quest. However, this is not a series for everyone. It seems to be love it or hate it, but for those who find something meaningful, it becomes something they will never forget. The mangaka (author and artist) also undergoes a noticeable change in worldview and outlook that significantly impacts the story and characters creating a real sense of genuine and significant growth. You could read the whole thing in six hours but you won’t want to. You will likely find yourself contemplating things the series merely suggest or briefly touches on.
This 1000 page epic took 12 years to create and stands as one of the pinnacles of the medium. It is worth the $40 bucks to buy the large hardbacks if you have the disposable funds to experience this series in a high-quality format.
Many consider the first half to be a little slow in the same way many people consider Lord of the Rings to be a little slow. I didn’t find either slow so I guess I am not able to comment on this, but I would like to say that I had a very unique and meaningful experience with this series. When I think about what I consider to be the best of the best or a “masterpiece” in it’s medium I fall back on one thing. A certain indescribable something more that presents itself more as an emotional sense of deeper satisfaction or a state of mind that leads to serious introspection and intellectual musing. As pretentious as this sounds, I believe that most of you will understand what I mean. When you experience something truly great you understand it by the impact it has on you and your mental life. By its ability to transcribe its “feeling”, or “atmosphere”, and its themes into your mind in such a way that you can’t help but ponder and remember them at the oddest of times. This manga is one of those things for me and many others.
If you are skeptical about the merit of comics, read it. If you read comics but are skeptical about the merits of manga, read it. If you are a fan of literary fiction, read it. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, read it. If you are a fan of sci-fi fiction, read it. If you want to read ecological fiction, read it. If you are a fan of Miyazaki’s movies, read it because this is by far his magnum opus. In short, I think many people will find something to appreciate in this manga that will be deeper than they expected.
If nothing else, you will get a very Japanese influenced perspective on war (very visible post-atomic bomb thoughts) and the idea of empire (yes, that bit is ironic) that is very rare in modern western stories. It also has a very interesting analysis of pacifism that goes beyond the usual naivety found in stories with the theme. All in all, you should do yourself a favor and buy the box set. If you absolutely hate it you can donate it to your local library and assure yourself that you are at least doing God’s work, and then ask for a donation receipt and claim it on your taxes as a charitable deduction.
Disclaimer: this is a repost from an account I have lost access to. This is just here for my personal cataloging purposes. Feel free to ignore.
by BigMacJackAttack